I'm a passionate health advocate who wholeheartedly believes we can all be thriving (not just surviving) if we choose to be. Each post will be about health, in a fashion, and from varying perspectives! Enjoy! I'd love to hear what you think of the blog! Or any suggestions you might like to see included – hit me with those too! You can reach me at info@wellnessassist.com.au

Firstly, we probably need to get this out of the way – ‘I’ statements aren’t selfish! In fact, they are a really effective way to respectfully and effectively communication feelings.

They are though, just one way of getting your point across. There are obviously others but I like these because they are simple but yet so powerful.

Just the power of recognising and labelling feelings is phenomenal. If we can teach this to children and adolescents – we can help make sense of situations that may have previously perplexed them! I know myself, when I can be specific about my own feelings, it is so much easier to work through them. Ok, and maybe I’m a pros and cons list kind of girl – useful when you have time, but not so useful when you need to respond quickly!

I think one of their ‘features’, if you like, is that they are focused on solutions – and if you have ever been part of a really effective team, solutions are always a way to move forward! Interestingly, most people often know what they want to happen when there is conflict – by using ‘I’ statements as a model just allows us to communication what we want.

Let me give you an example:

Your friend Robyn always cancels plans at the last minute. The final straw was that she stood you up, leaving you standing outside a fancy restaurant. You could choose to use an I statement…something like this…

Robyn, I feel like I’m not a priority when you keep cancelling plans. It makes me feel so rejected! Can you please not commit to plans unless you are sure you can make it and then we can keep having great times together.

Even typing that felt awkward!! But you get the idea, simple but to the point and clearly using your own words. It does take practice, but man, its liberating when you can get it sorted!

Choosing to actively deal with conflict and communicate using ‘I’ statements gives us confidence and I look forward to hearing how they go for you! Feel free to connect to let me know how you find them!